Ventilating and air conditioning apparatus



Nov. 19, 1935. D. A. SARGENT VENTILATING AND AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 5, 1934 INvEmToR.

Doniidarzgeni. d y-fi w' Patented Nov. 19, 1335 VENTILATING AND AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Don A. Sargent, Portland, Maine Application November 5, 1934, Serial No. 751,487

4 Claims. (CL 261-45) The invention hereinafter to be described deals with ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus,

relating more particularly to that type which may be installed in a window space but applicable '5 for use wherever access to the .outside atmosphere is possible, the air entering the apparatus through a filtering agent and while passing through the device given a moisture; and-if desired, a heating treatment before finally passing into the interior 1 space to be conditioned.

The fundamental principle upon which is largely based my present conception is found in'the structure disclosed in a co-pending application filed by me on April 25th, 1934, Ser. No. 722,264, 15 although in the present instance I- have added features which I consider of superior advantage over, and with respect to my former invention.

For instance, I have in this present invention incorporated structure which enables me to ac- 2o complish the following objects:

1. To filter, by a continuing process, the air in'the interior space to be treated, outside air being excluded.

2. To provide against overflow of the small water-segregating tank in the humidifier system in case of failure of the automatic water-levelmaintaining mechanism to function properly.

3. To be able to operate the humidi fying system even though the water in the segregating tank ,go should rise to the level of the water in the' main tank.

4. To substantially double the air-filtering capacity of the apparatus without increasing its size, and I '35 5. Hasten the clearing of an interior space of smoke or obnoxious odors by increasing the area of draft orifices.-

I have illustratively disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying 40 drawing in which'like reference characters indicate like parts in all views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken centrally and longitudinally of the apparatus;

Fig, 2 is a transverse sectional elevation through 4 the main and segregated water tanks, the section In the drawing, l is the body of the air-conditioner and 2 the cover therefor. The apparatus, preferably, and as shown in'the drawing, is placed in a window space 3 in close proximity to the window 4. Suitable weather strip or air-exclud- 5 ing structure.is shown at 5, embodying similar construction to that employed in my previous inconditioner box. The damper moves in a guideway I and except under certain operating conditions is left open, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Forwardly of the damper, or in a direction toward the in-door end of the conditioner, is a filtering element" 8 made of mineral material encased in a frame slldable in the guide-way 9. The filtering element may be entirely removed from the box by raising it therefrom.

A motor III on the shaft of. which is a fan wheel II is mounted within the'conditioner box, and directly ahead of the fan wheel is an electric heating unit l2.

A second filtering element I3, constructed on lines quite similar to those employed in the element 8, is installed, preferably, in the base of the conditioner box, but it is quite obvious that it might be mounted on either side, or even the top,

of the box, with the air in the space to be treated passing therethrough into the box and thence into 0 the room again.

At the front end of the conditioner box is the main water supply tank 14, passing through which is the air-discharge tube 15. On one side of the main tank is a small water-segregating tank l6, 5 shown in Fig. 3 equipped with a constant waterlevel-maintaining mechanism, including a valve l1 actuated by a float ball l8, all of which mechanism is of conventional construction. v

In my previous invention, hereinbefore referred 0 to, I employed a segregating tank the height of which was such that its top rose but slightly above the normal water-level line. I havefound that the valve (identified in my previous application as in this combination occasionally did not function properly, to hold the prescribed water level constant. p

In consequence of the possibility of the valve I! not acting to close off the water when the proper level in the segregating tank is reached, I have, in the present invention extended the walls of this tank to the same height as are those of the main supply tank, as shown at 16a, Fig. 3. Should adverse conditions, as just recited, occur, no damage by overflowage could arise, as the high walls of the smaller tank would confine the water within the apparatus; otherwise, and as was the case with the previous invention, the water might overflow, causing damage to floors, and ceilings in the room beneath the one being air treated.

In Fig. 2 I illustrate the tank structure with the ated water tank unequipped with the constant water level mechanism. Conditions in this tank as shownin Fig. 2 would be similar to those should the valve l'l fail to function were it a part of the segregated water tank equipment. The tank I6 is equipped with a heater l9.

To all intents and purposes the Fig.2 arrangement would serve the purpose and accomplish the object of reducing the body of water required to be heated, although obviously it would not prove as economical and eifective in converting the water into vapor, nor do it so rapidly, as the structure shown in Fig. 3 when working in proper order.

To replenish the water in the main supply tank a connection at 2|, with a shut-off valve II, is employed.

The measures taken in my present invention to avoid overflowing of the segregated water tank are therefore of a precautionary nature, and supply a need which was lacking inmy former apparatus.

In Fig. 6 I illustrate the segregating water tank equipmd with a. water-displacing member lib which I may elect to employ as a substitute for,

2 and to accomplish the same purpose as, the conwhich depends from a cross member l6c hung from the top surface of the extended walls Ila of the se re ating tank It.

The water which this member displaces will reduce the total water-holding capacity of the tank to substantially the amount m'aintainedin the tank illustrated in Fig. 3, so that there is in reality a very limited amount of water to be heated by the heating element l9.

It, is obvious that the water content of the tank depicted inFig. 6 will vary according as the water in the larger tank I lowers, for the reason that the water level will be the same in both tanks at all times, water passing from the larger to the smaller tank through opening 24.

In this arrangement there is a comparatively small body of water to be heated, even when the water level is at its highest point; there is no overfiowage possible from the segregating water tank as its upwardly extended walls preclude this; and by eliminating the level-maintaining mechanism the cost of production is materially reduced. r

The cross-sectional shape of the member lib may be square or rectangular le correspond to the shape of the segregating tank if desired, and its size, transversely, of such dimensions that at the average depth of water in the tanks, the cubical contents of water in the segregating tank will approximate that shown in the arrangement depicted in Fig. 3.

One of the principal objectives sought and attained in my present invention resides in its service I install another filtering element I: in

of the element 8, preferably at the botthe upper portion of the filtering element, as at 8a, as well also through the second filtering element l3. In these two latter instances there is 10 a re-filtering operation conducted on the air in the room in addition to cleaning the air which is coming iiito the box from the outside atmosphere.

Upon closing the window 4, air from the out- 15 side atmosphere is excluded from the box, but.

at this time the air-filtering duty devolves on the single purpose of air-cleaning the inside air, the full surfaces of both filtering elements, 8 and I3 being utilized to accomplish this object. Fig. 20 5 shows the window closed and the arrows indidate thecourse of the-air in the inside space, I. S., passing through filtering element 8; at the same time air is passing into the'box through element l3 (see Fig. 1). 25

It will be obvious that, with the window closed, the air in the room is being subjected to a continuing filtration process, the air passing again and again into the box and outwardly through the louvres 23.

In case it is desired to evacuate the room of smoke or disagreeable odors, the air-filtering element 8 ,is withdrawn from the box and the damper or shutter 6 closed. Then by reversing In the arrangement herein described I have 40 disclosed an apparatus which functions in a dual capacity, firstly, by filtering fresh air passing from the outside into the room,- and-secondly, by performing a continuous filtering operation on the air present in the interior space.

Not alone this, but after a cool night at which time the room hw become comfortably reduced in temperature, followed by a hot day, the apparatus can be made to continue this agreeable condition for quite a period by closing the window 50 and putting the fan-wheel in motion. This not only keeps the inside air clean, but by a continuous circulation thereof adds measurably to the comfort of the occupants of the room.

I have designed the structurew'ith the object 55 in view of making it simple in mechanical deweather and heated'in cold, the occupants of the w room are living in an atmosphere conducive to health and sustained effort as well as comfort;

What I claim is: I

1. In apparatus of the class described adapted to be installed within an interior space, adja ent-co a window comprising a box one end thereof having two openings, one exclusively for admission into the box of air from theinterior space, and the other exclusively for admission of air from the outside atmosphere, said box having an opening 70 in its opposite end for the discharge of air from said box, and a permanently open interior-spaceair-receiving aperture in one wall thereof, said box being so disposed, relative to the window, that the window serves, predeterminately, to I establish control over the quantity of the outside atmosphere to be admitted to said box, a damper disposed over the interior-space-air-receiving opening in the end of said box, a filtering element covering the openings in the air-receiving end of the box, a filtering element covering the air-admitting aperture in the wall of said box, a fan wheel in said box, and means to rotate said fan wheel to the end that air from the said interior space may uninterruptedly be drawn into said box through the filtering element disposed over the said permanently opened aperture, to provide continuous refiltration of the interior space air. together with air in any predetermined amounts and relative proportions from the interior space and outside atmosphere, respectively, through the two openings in the end of said box, all of said air being discharged from said box through the discharge opening in the end thereof.

2. Apparatus for both filtering and humidiiying air for admittance to an interior space comprising in combination a box fixedly mounted adjacent an aperture in the wall of said interior space and having an opening in one end adapted to receive the outside atmosphere and an opening in its opposite end through which air is discharged from said box into the interior space, a mineral filtering element covering said first mentioned opening. a wall of said box having an opening through which air from the said interior space, only, may enter said box, a'water tank in said box, a heater in said tank adapted to vaporize the water therein, and means to draft air simultaneously through both of said filtering elements into said box, mix it with the vapor therein, and force it outwardly from said box through the discharge opening therein, filtered and humidified.

3. Apparatus for filtering and humidiiying air for an interior space adapted to be positioned in a window space, adjacent a window, comprising in combination a box open at both ends and having a third opening in'the bottom wall thereof the opening in the air-receiving end otsai'd box,

adjacent said window, being divided, the lower interior space.

portion having direct communication between the interior of the box and the outside atmosphere, and the upper portion opening into the interior space to be conditioned, a mineral air-filtering element disposed across both openings in the air- 5 receiving end oi! the box, a damper operably disposed over the said upper portion oizthe opening in the air-receiving end of said box, said box being so positioned with respect to said window that the window serves as means to open or close in predetermined amounts the lower portion of said opening, a filtering element disposed over the said third opening in said box, a main water supply tank in said box, a segregated water tank in said box, drawing its supply from said main supply tank, a heater to vaporize the water in said segregated water tank, and a fan-wheel to force the filtered air and vapor in said box into the said 4. Apparatus for filtering and humidiiying air for admittance to an nterior space to be airconditioned, comprising in combination an openended box fixedly disposed in a window space adjacent a window, one end oi said box being open to receive the outside atmosphere and the opposite end open for discharging the air in thebox into the interior space, said box having a second inlet opening through one of its walls for admittanee, into the box, of air in the said interior space, an air-filtering'element disposed over the air-inlet end of said box, an air-filtering element mounted over the said second air-inlet opening in the box, a'main water-supply tank in said box,

a smaller water tank, drawing'its supply from said main supply tank, disposed in said box and having wallsextending substantially to the height of the main supply tank, means in said smaller tank to maintain a constant low water-level therein, an electric heater in said smaller tank adapted to vaporize the water therein, whereby the vapor commingles with the air in said box, 40 and means to force the filtered, humidified air in said box into said interior space.

' DON A. BARGEN'I. 

